Bad day for the Eppes
by H3l3n3
Summary: Three Eppes hostages, a bruised jaw, a deadly snake, a raging river and a bad guy on the loose. Yes, it was a very bad day for the Eppes. Don whumping and some Charlie too. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Three Eppes hostages, a very bruised jaw, a deadly snake, a raging river and a bad guy on the loose. Yes, it was a very bad day for the Eppes. Don whumping and some Charlie too.

Hi everybody! First of all, I wish you all a very happy New Year.

I wrote this story between Xmas and New Year Eve. I didn't want to disturb my Beta during her Xmas break so the text hasn't been corrected. My apologies for any weird phrasings or grammar mistakes, English is not my mother tongue.

I will post a chapter per day. Reviews (good or bad) always welcome.

**Chapter One**

Alan smiled as he adjusted his tie. It was his birthday and his sons had decided to take him to the restaurant. Of course, it wasn't the first time it happened but these last past months had been very hard on his two sons, with Charlie losing his clearance and fighting to get it back, and the consequences it had had on Don, both professionally and personally. His eldest had shown signs of discouragement and doubt lately, and although Alan was glad that Don opened up a little, it also worried him: things had to be pretty bad if his son felt the need to talk about his feelings with him. That was why this outing was important to him: it was the first time since Charlie's arrest that they were going out as a family.

He didn't know where they were going – it was a surprise although Charlie had had a hard time keeping the secret. Alan smiled at his refection in the mirror. Yes, he was happy. The only black cloud was the one in the sky. It hadn't stopped pouring for three days.

"Dad, you're ready?"

Alan startled and turned to watch Charlie dashing down the stairs four at a time.

"Don's gonna be here any minute now." And sure enough, a few seconds later, the two men heard the SUV stop in front of the craftsman's house.

The door burst opened and Don appeared in the doorway. "Jesus, what a weather!" he grumbled as he swiped his feet on the doormat. "You're ready, guys?"

"Yep!" Alan replied quickly. He looked at his tie one last time in the mirror, immediately imitated by Charlie and the three men left the house to run to the SUV.

Once inside the vehicle, Alan asked "So, where are we going?"

"Patience." Don replied with a mischievous smile.

"To the Three Swans!" Charlie said with excitement.

Don glanced at Charlie in his rear-view mirror: never mind how old he was, Charlie was still a big kid at heart. Don shook his head, amused as he started the engine.

It took them longer than planned to reach the restaurant. The rain had doubled, slowing down the traffic. Even with the windshield wipers on full speed, Don could hardly see the road. They finally made it safely and Don pulled over in front of the restaurant.

"The parking lot is just behind. No need for all of us to be drenched. Go ahead. I'll park the car and will join you right away."

Alan and Charlie got out and ran to the restaurant while Don drove to the parking lot. He locked the car and ran back to the entrance.

He shook himself, pushed the door and looked around to find his father and brother. The place was only half full and he saw them rapidly. He took one step but something in their body language and the general ambiance made him stop. He scanned the room briefly, his hand moving instinctively to his hip. He swore under his breath as he remembered he had left his gun and badge at home- tonight he was going out as Don the son, not Don the FBI agent. That was when he noticed from the corner of his eyes a man walking over to him. Without hesitation, he plunged casually his hand in his pocket, discreetly flipped his cellphone open and pressed one of the speed dial keys.

The man stopped in front of Don, smiling "Good evening Sir. You have a reservation?"

"No" Don replied quickly, making sure not to look at Alan and Charlie. "I didn't book but I was hoping there would be a table free tonight."

The man took a deep breath, nodded and smiled strangely. "Well, it's your lucky day." He replied drily before pulling a gun out of his pocket and aiming it at the agent. Don raised his hands lightly in a peaceful movement. There were too many people in the restaurant to try anything... just yet. Not to mention that the man had certainly accomplices. "Go sit there and don't move. Hands on the table."

"Sure" Don replied calmly.

The man kept his eyes on Don until the agent sat at the table.

.

The day had been long but the paperwork was finished and David was more than glad to be home. He fished his keys out of his pockets and started to turn the key in the lock when his cell phone rang. "Don" was displayed on the screen. David could not hold back a sigh. _God! The man never stopped working!_ He was about to speak when he heard a muffled voice.

"_... sit there and don't move. Hands on the table"_

David froze. It wasn't Don's voice. He listened more carefully**.**

"_Sure." _ This time is was Don.

"_Nobody moves and there're no reason for this to end badly."_

In a second, David understood the situation. Keeping his phone to his ear, he pushed his front door open and ran to his landline to call Colby and explain what was going on. Then he made another call.

"Agent Sinclair. I need you to locate Agent Eppes. His mobile's on. Find his position and give it to Agent Granger. It's urgent. I think Agent Eppes is held hostage, probably with other people."

His mobile still glued to his ear, he kept listening to what was happening as he drove back to the office.

"_Who are you and what do you want?"_ Don again.

"_When I said 'Don't move', I also meant Shut up!"_

He knew his boss was trying to give him as much information as he could. He also knew it was a very dangerous game to play. What puzzled David was why the HT hadn't taken Don's mobile away. Something wasn't clear. They should have searched him and taken his cell at the same time as his gun... unless they didn't know he was FBI. Damn! Alan's birthday! Don had mentioned he was going out with his father. Don was unarmed and chances were, Alan and Charlie were held hostages too.

.

The man turned to the waitress "you! Carry on serving these people. Everything must look normal."

Don glanced very briefly at Alan and Charlie to make sure they were alright. He didn't want the other man (and his accomplices, surely he wasn't alone) to know they were together.

The man sat at a table in a corner of the restaurant from where he had a clear view of the entrance and the kitchens.

Carefully and slowly, the agent scanned the room to try and identify the other HTs. He noticed another man seated at the opposite corner of the room - He also noticed the bulge under his jacket. Not knowing their names, he decided to give them a number._ Charlie would like that_, he thought briefly. Alright, this one would be HT2. Don carried on his inspection and spotted a blond man at a table in the middle of the restaurant. Don couldn't see any weapon but he looked very calm for someone held hostage. _Okay, HT3. _ He turned his attention to the table located in the third corner of the room occupied by a couple. To anyone else they were just a regular couple but to an experienced eye like Don's, it was clear that the woman was terrorised by the man sitting with her. _Yep! The guy was one of them. _Don looked away casually. _Right, we now say 4 HTs._ There was probably another one maybe two in the kitchens watching the staff, which brought the number up to 5 or 6. Don winced inwardly. There was nothing he could do on his own. He had to wait for his team.

The waitress approached his table hesitantly. "Can I take your order, Sir?" She asked, opening the menu with a trembling hand.

The whole scene seemed unreal but Don took the card and, pretending to read, he asked in a low voice. "How many are they?"

The young woman blinked at him, surprised. She hesitated then replied quietly "Five".

Don kept his eyes on the menu "Four in the restaurant and one in the kitchens?"

She stared at him, even more surprised then nodded slightly.

"Hey! What takes you so long?" The young woman jumped and whipped around to face HT1. Don looked up and, handing the card back to her, replied aloud "I'll have a salad."

Shyly, she asked. "Uh... which one? We have the chicken salad or-"

"Chicken will be perfect." He said with a reassuring smile.

The waitress tried to smile back then went back to the kitchens.

.

"Dad, stop staring at Don." Whispered Charlie "If they realise you're watching him, they're gonna become suspicious."

"Yes, yes I know" Alan muttered back, looking at his starter: "Egg mayonnaise". He wasn't too keen on egg mayonnaise but he had ordered the first thing on the menu while the man with the gun was standing next to him.

"Why didn't he sit with us? What is he planning?" The elder man asked as he cut his egg in two. He could tell by Don's eyes that the FBI agent had taken over. Although he seemed to act normally, there was something imperceptibly different in his attitude, something Alan didn't like.

Charlie glanced quickly at his brother. "He's trying to protect us, I guess. If they find out he's FBI, they could take it out on us."

"Well, how come that doesn't make me feel better?" Alan replied drily. He knew his eldest would do anything in his power to keep them and the other customers safe but he could also tell that he would act if an opportunity occurred. And _that_ didn't reassure Alan at all.

.

Colby and Liz were already at work when David arrived at the Bureau.

"Any news?" He asked, covering the speaker of his phone with his hand.

"He's at a restaurant called "The three swans." Colby replied, pointing at the map on the wall.

"Do we know how many hostages there are?" Liz asked

"Nor but from what Don said, there seems to be at least five HTs. Charlie and Alan are there too but I had the feeling that Don wasn't sitting with them. And I don't think that the HTs know Don's FBI."

"That's good. Things could turn really nasty for him if they knew." Colby commented.

"Do we know what they're after?" Liz inquired

David shook his head. "It's not clear yet. They act as if they were waiting for something or someone."

"Ok so we go there and wait until we know more?" Colby asked.

"Yes. With Don on site, we have the best source of information we could ask for. We wait for his signal to proceed."

.

The waitress placed a salad and a bottle of water in front of Don.

"Is there an emergency exit?" The agent whispered.

"In the kitchen." She replied in the same tone as she opened the bottle before pouring some water in the glass.

"Any back door?"

"In the corridor leading to the toilets but it's under alarm... Are you a policeman?" She asked timidly, placing the bottle on the table.

"FBI. Do you know who they are or what they want?"

"No... You're going to help us, aren't you?"

"I'm gonna try. Go before they get suspicious." He let his gaze wander around the room, checking the guests, stopping slightly longer on Alan and Charlie. He turned his head and realised that HT1 was watching him. Looking as calm and detached as possible, Don then looked down at his salad, and sighed. Food was not what he needed at the moment. His Glock and his team would have been better.

The level of tension was rising by the minute in the restaurant. Suddenly, one of the clients got up and asked forcefully "What do you want? Tell us what you want. If it's money I give you what I have."

He lifted his hand toward the inside pocket of his jacket but was stopped before he could reach it. HT3 - the blond man sitting in the middle of the room jumped on him and hit him violently before searching him. The woman sitting with him started to scream and HT3 pulled his gun to aim at her. "Shut up!"

"Leave her alone." Her companion shouted.

"I said 'Shut up'!" Yelled HT3. He raised his hand to slap the woman.

Charlie, who was sitting at the table next to the couple's, couldn't help intervening. "Can't you see she's terrorised?"

HT3 turned around swiftly and punched the professor, sending him to the floor. Charlie saw a multitude of bright stars dancing in front his eyes. He tried to sit up but fell back on the floor when his arms refused to cooperate. Alan shot off his chair to help him.

Don had also jumped to his feet but HT4 pointed his gun at him

"Sit... now!

Don lifted a hand "I just want to see how he is."

"Why? You're a doctor?"

Before Don could answer, a woman's voice replied behind him. "No, he's a Fed!"

Don span around and stared at the waitress with wide eyed. _She hadn't just?... What was wrong with her?_

HT1 reacted quickly "A Fed?" He pushed Don violently against the wall and started to search him.

"I'm not armed."

"You won't be offended if I don't take your word for it, will you?" _A Fed? How could they know? If they had sent one of them, there were probably more._ HT1 held his gun tighter while aiming at Don.

Don read the man's thoughts and replied "I'm alone."

The man studied Don's face but couldn't decide whether he was telling the truth. The blond man approached and pressed his gun against the Agent's forehead and growled. "A good Fed is a dead Fed. We must get rid of him. It's too dangerous to have him here."

HT1 mulled over what his man said then shook his head. "No, if things go south, we could take him with us. A Fed as hostage is a guarantee to get out. They won't put his life at risk". The man looked at Don and smiled "But you're right. He's dangerous. Turn around and face the wall."

Don obeyed. A heavy silence fell in the restaurant. Alan, now holding Charlie in his arms, watched horrified as the man pressed his gun against Don's nape. He wanted to scream, say or do something but he was petrified. How could Don remain so calm with a barrel against his head? He watched, powerless, as the man lifted his gun and, with an evident satisfaction, hit his son. The agent fell on the floor.

"This is a warning, Fed. If you try anything, I shoot you dead. Got it?"

His hand reaching shakily to his neck, Don took a moment to recover before pushing on his arms to sit up against the wall.

Satisfied, HT1 turned to the rest of the clients "Anyone else has anything to say?... No? Good." He looked at Alan. "Grand Pa, pick up your kid and no scene."

Alan helped Charlie to sit back on his chair "How do you feel?"

Charlie worked his jaw. It was painful, very painful but not broken. "I'll be fine, Dad. What about Don?"

Alan looked as his eldest got on his knees and with the help of the wall, stood up a little unsteadily, still holding his nape.

HT3 approached and pushed him forcefully towards his chair. Don managed to grip the table to keep his balance and sat down. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to ease up.

His two sons were wounded and there was nothing he could do. Alan wanted to yell in frustration. _No, it was definitely not the kind of evening I expected,_ he thought, an arm around Charlie's shoulders and an eye on Don.

Tbc


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The agents breathed a sigh of relief when the calm came back in the restaurant. Hidden in the surveillance van parked few meters away from the restaurant, they couldn't see what was happening but they could hear.

"That was close. We've got to intervene. Now they know he's FBI, he's in a greater danger to be shot." Commented Special Agent Fuller, the leader of the back up team.

"As if we didn't know!" Colby retorted

"Easy Granger" David replied "we're all on the same side, here."

Granger nodded apologetically.

Fuller raised his hands dismissively. He understood the men could be edgy. Their boss's life was at stake: difficult in these circumstances to remain impartial and unemotional.

"We disabled the alarm on the back door. Agent Sinclair, We go in whenever you're ready." An agent announced on the radio.

David grabbed a spare gun that he secured at his waist and a Kevlar vest. "For Don" he explained quickly. Then, he sprinted round the building to join the agents.

Fuller looked at Liz. "Agent Warner. It's your turn. Don't take any unnecessary risks**."**

**.  
**

If it hadn't been for that splitting headache, Don would have hit his head against the table in rage._ How could he have been so stupid?_ _Those guys were obviously waiting for someone, and they had to have an informer to know that their target was coming tonight. The waitress should have been his first suspect_. _Lucky he didn't tell her about the cellphone._ _At least he didn't blow the small advantage he had on them._ He glanced at Alan and Charlie. The mathematician was still holding his face and seemed in pain. From where he was sitting, Don could see that the left side of his brother's face was bright red and started to swell.

The restaurant door suddenly opened and Liz appeared. She made sure not to look at any of the Eppes.

The waitress glanced rapidly at the HT1 who replied with an imperceptible nod. She walked over to Liz who smiled before saying "I think I'm lost. I'm looking for the Globe theater."

The waitress relaxed a little and replied. "It's not too far, only two blocks away from here."

"Oh! So it's just _behind._ " The agent said, stressing slightly on the last word.

"Yes. Turn left and carry on for about half a mile. You can't miss it."

Liz thanked the waitress and left. HT1 looked through the window and watched her silhouette disappear in the rain.

.

Don smiled inwardly. His team was ready to intervene and was waiting for him. He needed to find a way to join them. _Nobody was going to stop him from leading this raid: he had one or two scores to settle with these men, especially the blond HT for punching his brother_. He looked at his hands and noticed they were stained with blood. He felt gingerly the back of his neck and realised he was bleeding. That gave him an idea. Pretending to feel unwell, he groaned and rubbed his face, smearing it with blood in the process.

HT1 looked at him furious and yelled "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Don stared at him innocently. "You're going to scare everybody with that blood on your face. Go and wash it! Jose, stay with him. If he tries anything, kill him."

Don got up and headed toward the door leading to the restrooms, followed by HT2, namely Jose.

"Hey Fed!" Don looked over his shoulder. "If you're not back in 3 minutes, I'll kill a hostage, so be quick."

Don let the door close behind him and walked slowly along the corridor, with Jose on his heels. He had hardly entered the restrooms when he was tugged on the side by David while the other two agents knocked Jose out before handcuffing him to the sink.

"You're okay?" David enquired worriedly.

"Yeah. I feel better already." He replied. He put on the Kevlar vest, adjusted the earpiece and the radio and reached out for the spare gun that David had brought with him, while being briefed on Fuller's plan. Then he opened the door and cautiously walked out, followed by the other three men.

"There are 16 hostages, including my father and brother, so be careful when you shoot." He whispered in the radio placed on his vest. Then he gave a brief description of each suspect and where they were sitting.

"Understood. Everybody's ready." confirmed Colby's voice in the radio.

"Let's go." He murmured as he placed his hand on the knob of the door separating them from the restaurant. "Three, two, one, execute, execute!" He ordered on the radio.

When they saw Liz enter the restaurant, Alan and Charlie couldn't help glancing at each other, surprised and mystified: how did Don manage to contact his team? Their confusion quickly turned into apprehension when they saw him heading toward the restrooms: they knew he was preparing something. To relieve his fears, Alan focused his attention on Charlie. "How do you feel?" The left side of his younger son's face was swollen and turning seriously blue.

Charlie looked at him with his puppy eyes and grimaced. "I think I'm gonna have some problems to talk for a few days."

Alan could hardly hide a smile. Charlie silent for a few days? Oh he didn't think so. Surely, his son would find a way around it. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car stopping right in front of the restaurant. Things were moving.

The HTs heard the vehicle too. HT1, gun in hand looked discreetly by the window but the thick rain prevented him to see clearly. He could just make out a large black car. The front door of the vehicle opened, a man got out, opening an umbrella to protect from the rain the passenger who got out from the back door. The two men walked quickly to the entrance of the restaurant.

HT1 placed himself behind the door after gesturing at his accomplices. The three men took their weapons and aimed at the door. They heard footsteps coming closer then the door started to open slowly. HT1 held his gun tightly, ready to act.

At that precise moment, a bright and blinding light flooded the room just as the front and back doors of the restaurant burst open.

"FBI!"

"FBI! Don't move"

Colby and the other agents rushed into the room from the entrance while Don, David and the two other agents entered from the back. Liz took care of the kitchens.

The shouts and the sudden appearance of the agents from both sides of the room scared and startled the HTs as well as the hostages. The clients started to scream and throw themselves on the floor, imitated by Charlie and his father.

HT1 knocked a table over and took cover behind it before shooting at the agents. The blond man and HT4 turned around to face the back door and fired at Don and David.

Worried about Don, Alan peeped out and caught sight of his eldest clad in a bullet proof vest, shooting back and shouting orders, his body language showing he was in complete control. And suddenly it struck Alan that he had never seen his son at work, not that side of the job anyway. Don had always been careful to remove his vest before coming home and not to manipulate his gun in front of his father, even to clean it.

Alan was discovering a side of his son that he had never seen before although he was well aware of it. But knowing and seeing were two extremely different things. He knew Don had a very dangerous job and that he put his life on the line every day to protect the public but so far, he had managed not to think of it too much. Seeing this part of his son's life was fascinating, revealing and terrifying. He watched, like hypnotised, as Don was making hand signals to David and Colby. The two men nodded in response. Don suddenly got up, sprinted toward the blond man and literally jumped on him, both rolling on the floor and fighting for the control of the HT's gun. David ran and caught the waitress who trying to escape through the door.

"Dad, get down!"

Alan startled as Charlie, knelt next to him, was pulling him down. He was so focused on Don that he hadn't noticed he had got up. He crouchedhurriedly**.**

HT4 took the woman who was sitting with him as body armour but Colby pinned him to the ground before he could realise what was happening.

Several agents rushed into the kitchen where a cacophony of frying pans and other kitchen utensils could be heard, mixed with screams and insults.

A few minutes later, the raid was over. Alan breathed a deep sigh of relief when he saw Don, astride the blond man, handcuffing his prisoner before handing him to an agent. Liz reappeared, holding a man covered in bolognaise sauce and pasta. Clearly, the cooks hadn't appreciated his intrusion in their kitchens.

HT4 was being tugged outside rather brutally**. **His shoulder looked dislodged, probably due to Colby's over enthusiastic tackle.

The waitress was struggling like one possessed, shouting insults and threatening to sue the FBI for police brutality. David reappeared with a rather groggy Jose looking around as if he didn't understand what had happened.

"Who's hurt, who's down?" Don asked, scanning the room.

"Me!" The man covered in ketchup was rubbing his hand and demanded to see a doctor right away.

"That man bit me!" He yelled, pointing at the Chef. "He could have rabies!"

Liz pushed him. "Be grateful, he could've bitten a much more tender part of your anatomy."

Don was walking over Alan and Charlie when he stopped short and looked around, frowning. Something was wrong. He went to the door and froze, blinded by the car lights used to light up the room. He lifted a hand to protect his eyes.

"Somebody, turn these lights off!" He ordered.

Once the light was off, he looked again and swore.

Colby looked at him. "What is it Don?"

"Where is HT1?" he asked with apprehension. "He was right there."

Colby looked at him, puzzled. "Who?"

Don turned around and shouted "How many prisoners do we have?"

"Five" David confirmed, hesitantly.

Don swore again, this time louder. "We're missing one. Search the area." He looked around, alarmed. "I can't believe we let him escape! How could that happen?"

"He can't be too far, Don. We're gonna find him" David reassured him in a low voice.

Don sighed deeply and span brutally when he sensed someone behind him. Alan jumped at his reaction.

"Sorry, son. I didn't mean to startle you"

Don relaxed and shook his head in apology.

"It's ok Dad. How are you? Charlie? Let me see your face." He grabbed his brother's chin and studied him meticulously "Hmm, that looks painful. You're gonna be bruised for several days. It'd be safer to go to the hospital to have an Xray, just in case."

Charlie tugged his face away from his brother's grip. "No, it's alright. My jaw is... sore but it functions alright."

"Charlie!" Don scowled

"Don, it's alright. Honestly. You, on the other hand, you should have your head checked."

"Why? What do you mean?" he asked, defensively.

"Relax, I'm talking about the blow you received."

Don touched gingerly his nape. He had forgotten about it but now that his brother was mentioning it, he could feel a major headache developing. "Nah. Painkillers will do the trick. And anyway, there's no time to waste. One of the HTs has managed to get away. We must find him." He replied, turning away to head to his car.

Charlie grabbed his arm and stopped him short. "It's not your fault, Don." The professor knew his brother was feeling responsible and considered this escape as a failure.

"He's right" Alan butted in. "You managed to end a hostage situation without anyone being hurt. It's a pretty good job. I know what I'm talking about, I was there."

"Yeah, but I let one go."

"No Donnie, you didn't. May I remind you that you were a hostage too? And a wounded one? You did an amazing job there. I saw you – you couldn't deal with all the bad guys at the same time. Everybody is safe and sound, that's the most important thing. You'll catch that villain. So relax a little. And by the way, your brother was right."

"Oh yeah? About what?" He asked warily.

"Go and have your head checked. You received a pretty hard blow"

He was about to reply that it wasn't the first time and that he had seen worse but decided against it. Instead, he shook his head. "I'll see the FBI medical team."

"At this time of the night?"

Don glanced at his watch: 10.30pm. "Yeah. They're on duty 24/7."

"I'll use your doctor." Charlie mumbled, obviously in pain.

Alan looked at his sons and sighed, raising his hands in the air: how did he manage to have two sons so stubborn?

Tbc


	3. Chapter 3

I know I haven't replied to everyone yet. I'm going to try and do it today: I'm off sick – in bed with the flu. (I'd rather be in bed with Don, believe me. Oh did I say that aloud? This is so not like me! I'll blame it on the fever and my headache

Chapter three is slower in pace. I thought I could give the Eppes some slack... You know, just enough to give them a false sense of security (he! he! he!)

**Chapter Three**

Don ran nervously a hand in his hair.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

He looked at the doctor next to him.

"You don't have a concussion, just a deep cut in the scalp but still, try not to touch your head for a while. If the headache intensifies, take two more pills. Do not exceed six a day. If the pain has not decreased by tomorrow morning, or if you feel dizzy or... "

"Yes I promise, I'll come back. I really need to go back to work now."

He jumped off the examination table, put his jacket on, grabbed the plastic vial with the painkillers, signed some papers and left after thanking the Doctor. To his surprise, Alan was waiting for him in the corridor.

"How's Charlie?" he asked him.

"He's fine. Bruised but nothing serious, thank god. What about you?"

"I'm good" Don mumbled, a little impatiently as he walked to the elevators.

Alan pursed his lips, unconvinced "Hmm, you don't look like it to me."

Don sighed deeply. "Dad, I let a criminal escape today. How do you think that makes me feel?"

The doors of the elevator opened and both men walked in.

"First, _you_ did not let him escape. He wasn't your responsibility. There were other agents involved in that operation. Special Agent Fuller was in charge, wasn't he?"

"Yeah but we had agreed on a plan. We all had a part of the restaurant to cover."

"Yes, and from what I saw, you took care of yours."

"Yes but..."

"Not Buts Donnie. You were busy enough wrestling with that huge guy. You could have chosen a smaller one by the way."

"He was the closest to me, Dad. And anyway, we can't pick who we are going to fight with. Believe me, if I'd had the choice, I would've gone for a skinnier one."

"Oh! So it was pure coincidence that you took on the man who hit your brother?"

Don looked at him but didn't reply. Alan nodded forcefully. "That's what I thought. Anyway, that's not the point. What I was trying to say was that you were busy enough without having to check on what the others were doing."

A 'ding' informed them they had arrived. The doors opened and they entered the bullpen.

"But" Don tried again, showing his pass to the guard, while his father was given a visitor's pass.

Alan raised his hand. "I'm not finished. They all knew what they had to do. One of them screwed up. It wasn't you so stop feeling guilty. It was _not_ your operation."

"Yes I know" Don replied, kneading his forehead. "But they're all good agents so I don't understand how he managed to get away."

"Vu wink ov an infide yob?

Don and Alan whipped around, surprised.

"Oh my god, Charlie" Alan muttered, a hand in front of his mouth. Don's jaw dropped as he stared speechless at his brother. The left side of the professor's face had now turned deep purple with some shades of yellow and almost doubled in size, preventing him from pronouncing properly.

"A co't walk" He said with an apologetic shrug, holding an icepack against his cheek.

"You can't walk?" asked Alan, puzzled.

"I think he means Talk" Don corrected. Charlie nodded slightly. "Okay, try again. What did you say?"

Charlie took a deep breath and repeated slowly "Wu –wink – ov – an – infide – yob."

Don squinted and frowned as he concentrated to decipher his brother's sentence. Then his face lit up "You think of an inside job!"

Charlie blinked emphatically, grateful beyond words that his brother understood. If he had dared, he would have hugged him.

Don made a face "Yeah, I must admit it did cross my mind." Don remained silent and pensive as he headed to his desk. "Everybody knew where the HTs were and how many they were." He shook his head and scratched his left temple. "Either someone seriously screwed up or he got some help to break away. Either way, the FBI is involved. " He looked at his father. "Liz is going to take your statement Dad. Yours too Charlie," He pushed the icepack gently away from Charlie's cheek to examine his brother's face and grimaced. "You know what? You're gonna do it by writing."

"A vink fo" Charlie agreed.

Alan and Don tried not to smile and Don patted sympathetically his brother's arms.

.

"We've interrogated all the witnesses. No-one saw him leave" Colby sat on the side of the table "All the clients were evacuated and-"

"He must've paused as a customer." Liz suggested

David shook his head. "The other diners would've recognised him"

"Mabe not. In ve cobusion"

All eyes turned to the door as Don, Charlie and Alan came in.

The three agents stared at the professor. Colby was the first to recover. "What?"

Don sat a little heavily on a chair whereas Charlie sank with extreme precautions into the armchair. Don brushed his face with his hands.

"That's the thing, Charlie. All the clients were identified on site and escorted by agents before making their statements. He must've disappeared _before._**"**

Colby leant toward Liz and asked in a low voice. "How did Don understand what Charlie said."

"Beats me. It must be a brother thing." Liz replied in the same tone.

"I identified five HTs but maybe there were more. And he or she helped him get away." Don stressed.

Charlie made a head movement to show his agreement but immediately regretted it as it triggered a new round of pain in his jaw.

"We prevented everybody from leaving the scene. We searched the restaurant and the surroundings. We should've found him." David pointed out.

"Well, we didn't, did we?" Don snapped back.

"It was not your fault." Alan reminded with force.

"Never mind whose fault it was, Dad. We have a suspect on the loose." He worked his shoulders to release the tension and turned to his men. "Ok, do we know who they are and what they were after?"

David approached and gave a file to his boss. "Woody Norman, Jose Rodriguez, Ray Timonson, aka Mad Tim, Bo Slader and Mindsie Miny, the waitress."

Don's eyesbrows shot up. "Mindsie Miny? You're kidding right?"

"Nope. It's her real name. I checked... twice." Colby confirmed with a smirk.

Don had a quick read through and stopped on Timonson's picture: he was the blond man who attacked his brother. "Any clues on their target? Anything on the fifth man?"

Colby shook his head, unhappy. "We checked the booking list but no name stood out. We've just started to interrogate the prisoners. They haven't said anything yet but we're working on it."

Charlie yawned noisily. Don looked at him then at his father then glanced at his watch: 11.30pm. Oh, it was going to be a _very _long night. He put the file on his laps and turned to his father "Dad, I'm going to call a cab for you and Charlie."

"And for you too. You look terrible. May I remind that you were hit on the head tonight? You need to rest."

"Dad, it's-"

"_Not_ ok." Alan finished, leaning toward his son. "You're coming home with us."

Don didn't answer. He was tired but couldn't bring himself to leave and let his team do all the work. Seeing his son hesitating, Alan added. "Don, you are not the only agent in town. From what I know, Special Agent Fuller is the one who should worry, not you. Go get some rest, all of you, and tomorrow you'll be like new men. That villain won't stand a chance."

David smiled and glanced at Colby "Sounds good to me."

Don shook his head. "Sorry Dad. I wish we could, I really do but I can't just go home while that guy is out there."

.

Don poured himself a large cup of black coffee. He was feeling exhausted although he had managed to grab a couple of hours sleep at his desk. He stretched his neck from side to side to get rid of the cricks, stirred his coffee with a plastic stick, took a sip of the black beverage before chewing away at the stick.

"Don!"

He looked over his shoulder. Colby jogged to him, a file in his hand.

"We may have an ID on our escaped guy. His name's Josh Brown. He spent some time inside in Texas for robbery five years ago. We lost track of him since then but Rodriguez, Slader and Timonson were in the same prison at the same time."

"That's more than a coincidence" Don agreed, taking the file. He looked at the picture. "Oh yes! That's definitely our guy. He looks younger on this photo but that's him." He walked to the briefing room where David and Liz waited for him. "Okay, let's run-".

He stopped mid-sentence when his cell phone rang. He flipped it open. "Eppes."

"What a blunt way to answer, Agent Eppes."

Don frowned, puzzled "Who's that?"

"What? You've already forgotten me? It was a brief encounter but I would've thought I'd made a bigger impression on you. I'm hurt." replied the voice mockingly.

Don snapped his fingers to attract his team's attention. They looked at him, questioningly.

"Brown?" Don asked.

David grabbed immediately the phone to request a trace on the call. Don placed his cellphone on the table after turning its loud speaker on.

"Ah! Now I'm impressed. I know none of my men talked, how did you get my name?"

"We did our job. What do you want?"

"Just to talk to you."

"Okay. Let's meet. Where are you?"

"Thanks to you and your men, my employers are very unhappy." Brown replied, deliberately ignoring Don's question.

Don frowned. _Employers, hmm? _"I can't say I'm sorry to hear that... Who are they? I'd like to talk to them."

Brown laughed briefly "Yeah, I'm sure you would. I'm not saying it won't happen but not today Eppes. Meanwhile," He added in a conversational tone. "I'm doing some sightseeing. I like Los Angeles, there are some very interesting buildings and houses. I'm visiting one right now with a lot of cachet. In Pasadena. I particularly like the Koi pond in the back garden."

Don felt his blood freeze. David and Colby looked at each other, in alarm.

"If you hurt my family-" Don started

"Easy Eppes. Everybody's alright... for now. But you're right: we're going to meet again. In the meantime, I leave you a present. I hope you'll like it."

The line went dead. Don looked at David questioningly. "Don, the call came from Charlie's. He used his landline."

"The son of -" Don swore under his breath. He grabbed his jacket and ran to the elevators, followed by his team. He dialled his brother's landline – no reply. He tried Charlie's cell phone but it went directly to voicemail. He breathed an exasperated and anxious sigh and tried his father's number.

"Hello?" replied Alan's voice

"Dad!" He closed his eyes in relief, he had never been so happy to hear his father's voice "Where are you?"

"At the supermarket- " Alan stopped and his tone suddenly changed. "Why, what's going on?"

"Listen, do not go home, okay? Stay where you are, I send an agent. Do you know where Charlie is? I've been trying to call him but he's not answering." The four agents sprinted to Don's SUV .

"Probably still asleep. He took a couple of strong pain killers last night. That knocked him out right away. Don, what-"

"Dad, do not move! Okay? " He ordered again while starting his car and turning his siren on.

"Alright." Alan replied apprehensively.

Seated in the front seat, next to Don, Liz softly shook her head "I don't get it. Why did he call?"

"Probably to check on what we knew. We've got his men. Maybe he wanted to know if they'd talked." Colby ventured.

Liz remained silent but she made a face and shook slightly her head, unconvinced. Don glanced at her just in time to catch her expression.

"What?"

"Why call you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why call _you_ and threaten your family?"

Don didn't reply but tightened his grip around his steering wheel. _Charlie was at home, alone. Only God knew what Brown had done. The 'Why' part could wait. All he wanted was to get home as quickly as possible._ Liz saw his jaw clench and his eyes become harder as he pressed on the accelerator. She was about to say something about speed limit but decided to remain quiet.

Don pulled over in front of the craftsman house, putting more weight on the brake than necessary, making the tyres squeak painfully. The front door was ajar. He approached with precaution while reaching for his gun, imitated by his team.

Standing on the side of the entrance, he pushed the door gently and peered inside. The house was silent and apparently empty. He scanned the room, arm in hand. He waved to David and Colby to inspect the first floor while Liz checked the garage. Don headed to the kitchen.

David tried the first room- Alan's. It was empty and everything seemed in order. Colby went to the next one- Don's old room. It was weird for the agent to be there, looking at his boss's personal items, even if they were over twenty years old. Or was it _because_ they were twenty years old? He had never really thought of what Don was like when he was a teen. And now, seeing the baseball and hockey trophies, the old photos on the wall, he had the feeling he was violating his boss's privacy. A soft call from David broke his thoughts. He turned around, anxious. The only room left was Charlie's. When he got to the door, David was checking Charlie's pulse. The young agent held his breath – David looked at his partner and smiled.

"Out like a light but alright." He whispered.

"Pfff. Good news." Colby replied in a soft voice. "Let's go reassure Don."

The two agents went back to the living room.

"Don, Charlie's alr-" David stopped short. Something was amiss. Don was standing still, _very_ still, in front of the shelves separating the living room from the entrance.

"Don?" Colby enquired uneasily, as both agents stepped forward.

"Don't come any closer. Don't make any brisk movements." Don ordered in a low voice.

Both agents moved slowly around their boss and froze too, their hearts missing one beat or two.

"Jesus!" David muttered.

"What is it?" asked Liz anxiously as she entered the room, her phone already in her hand. "We need a bomb squad?"

"I'd prefer a snake handler, if you know one." Don replied, under his breath.

Liz frowned, unsure she had heard properly. She walked next to Colby and almost choked when she saw the swaying head of a rattlesnake, less than a meter away from Don. The animal was coiled on the third shelf and was obviously very upset to have been disturbed. It was hissing menacingly, its tongue sensing its potential victim.

Tbc


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Don, don't move." Colby ordered, raising his gun.

_No risk_, Don thought. He could feel his heart beating so hard that it hurt. His palms were sweaty. He knew he had to calm down: animals could feel fear. But having a snake a few centimetres from him scared him more than a criminal pointing a gun at him. Even if the risk of being shot was always present, at least he knew how to act in these conditions. Whereas with a snake, there was no possible negotiations, no talking down the suspect. As for wrestling with the animal, just forget it.

Liz stepped back to call for help. She wasn't too sure who to phone and decided for the firemen, the Californian Poison Centre and an ambulance... just in case.

"Does any of you know anything about snakes?" Don asked, keeping his eyes glued on the animal.

"A little." Liz replied, craning her neck to get a better view. "It's a rattlesnake, a copperhead. It's venomous but it won't attack unless it feels really threatened."

"That's good to hear." Don forced himself to regulate his breathing.

David whispered. "Don, do you think you could move one step backward. I'm sure I can shoot it but you're in my line of fire and I don't want to move any closer in case I scare him."

Don nodded slowly. "Okay... Anything else I should know about it, Liz?"

"Well... it has a hemotoxic venom." The young woman carried on.

"Uh uh. Is it a good or a bad thing?" Almost imperceptibly, Don moved his right leg back.

"Depends. The bite is extremely painful, the venom affects the breathing and if not treated rapidly..." She trailed off, horrified. _What was she saying? _She bit her lower lip, anxiously and added quickly, trying to sound reassuring. "But it could be worse."

"Oh yeah? How so?" Don asked softly, as he balanced his weight backward to give David a better shooting angle.

"It could've been a cobra. They have a neurotoxic venom, almost always fatal as it attacks the nervous system."

"Hmm, lucky me then... David, tell me when you're ready."

David raised his gun very _very_ slowly. If the animal felt threatened in any ways, it would strike without hesitations.

"Colby, when I shoot, you pull Don on the side."

The snake's tail started to rattle and David stood firmly on both legs to be as stable as possible. He wouldn't have a second try_**. **_Colby stepped forward to get closer to their leader. Unfortunately, he was so concentrated on the snake that he failed to see a small side table and banged into it. The movement and the vibrations panicked the animal. In a flash, it rose and threw itself at Don before any of the men could react. David fired twice. The snake fell on the floor before disappearing behind the dresser.

"Shit! Where did it go?"

"My God, did you see how fast this thing moved?"

"Don?"

Colby and David whipped their heads at Liz's concerned voice. Don was standing, pale, holding his side.

David walked over to him. "You're okay, man?"

"Uh... I'm not sure." He managed to say before his legs gave away.

The three agents rushed to his side and helped him to lie down.

"Did it bite you?"

"You shot me." Don said to David, accusingly. A red stain was spreading on Don's shirt just below his left ribs.

"What's going on here?"

All four agents looked towards the staircase to discover a very sleepy Charlie, rubbing his eyes.

"Who shot who?" The professor blinked several times to try and make the group come into focus. He stared at his brother, first for an answer then in concern, when his saw Don let his head drop back onto the floor. He was about to rush to his brother's side but Liz stopped him. "It'd be safer to stay where you are, Charlie."

The professor, still a little groggy by the painkillers, looked at David, in dismay "You shot my brother?"

"I didn't do it on purpose. I was aiming at the snake but that darn thing attacked when Don was still in my trajectory." David explained defensively.

That woke him up. "Snake?" He looked at Don in alarm " Don, did it bite you?"

"Nah-" Don started.

Colby lifted his boss's shirt to check the gun wound: it was just a graze but then he noticed the two little red marks left by the fangs on Don's abdomen.

"Damn it! You've been bitten. Liz, did you call an ambulance?"

The young woman nodded "They're on their way. Should be here any minute now."

Snake or no snake, Charlie couldn't stay away from his brother any longer. He passed Liz, knelt down and put Don's head on his laps, a hand holding his brother's forehead. "Don, stay still. What kind of snake was it?"

"Rattlesnake... copperhead but I'm lucky... it's got hematoxin venom whereas a cobra is neurotoxic." Don recited jokingly. He closed his eyes, suddenly short of breath then reopened them before carrying on. "If you need... more data... ask Liz..." He let his eyes close again and winced as a burning sensation spread around his mid-section**.**

"Shut up, Don. It's not funny." The professor gently scolded. He was much too worry to be angry. _Where was that ambulance? _Charlie felt his brother's body tense up. His eyes tightly shut, he looked in great pain.

Don tried to say something but speaking was becoming difficult, like breathing actually. He was feeling hot... and numb. He could feel his body becoming stiff, his muscles stiffening so much that they started to go into spasm. Someone turned his head on the side. He opened his eyes to see who it was but his sight was blurred. His chest was hurting so much, he gasped for air but his lungs didn't seem to be functioning any more. He was asphyxiating, as if something or someone very heavy was standing on him, crushing him, the weight increasing with each breath. He raised his hand to push whatever was on him but his arms refused to obey. He tried to open his eyes, he wanted to _see_, wanted to _know_ what was happening but the effort was too great and the pain too strong. Exhausted, he gave up under the pressure that kept squashing him again and again.

"Don, stay with us okay?" David turned his face toward him "He can't breathe."

"How come the venom is affecting him so quickly?" Colby wondered, horrified.

Liz stared at their leader, tears in her eyes. "Most people get bitten in the limbs, it takes longer to reach the heart. _And_ being shot at the same time surely didn't help."

"I already said I was sorry." David said with force.

Charlie was about to say something when they heard the sirens of both the firemen and the ambulance. Liz and Charlie sprinted outside and came back with four firemen and two medics wearing a "Californian Poison Centre System" badge on their jacket.

"My brother was bitten by a snake. He has trouble breathing."

"You said on the phone that it was a rattlesnake?" Asked one of the firemen.

"Affirmative." Liz confirmed.

"Are you sure?" The medic insisted.

Liz glanced at the name on his white jacket: Lewis. "Positive."

The firemen approached the living room with precautions and started to search the room while the two medics knelt near Don.

"How long did it happened?"

"Only a few minutes ago." David replied. "You were quick guys."

"We're based just four blocks away from here." Lewis glanced at Charlie in his pyjamas while opening his bag to take a syringe and a glass vial out. The other man checked Don's vitals. "The snake, is it your pet?"

Charlie stared at the man, shocked. "What? No, of course not!"

"Alright. I needed to ask. You have no idea what people have as pets these days. If it'd been yours, you would've surely had the antidote with you."

When the second paramedic lifted Don's shirt and noticed the graze, he pointed his forefinger "This is NOT a snake bite. It's a GSW." He gave a sharp look at the agents. "What happened here?"

"Easy, we are FBI agents and someone broke into his house." Colby explained, nodding toward Don.

Charlie felt he had to clarify things. "Well, technically this is my house but he is my brother."

The man ignored the explanation and said to his partner. "His pulse is weak and his breathing laborious. I'll get the oxygen." He said leaving the room while Lewis gave Don an injection.

"Is that the antidote?" Charlie wanted to be sure.

Lewis nodded.

"A chance you just happened to have some rattlesnake serum with you." Colby commented, a little suspicious.

The second medic came back and placed an oxygen mask on Don's face. Lewis looked sharply at the agents. "When we are on call, we must have different types of antidotes with us: snakes, spiders, lizards, scorpions. As I said, you have not idea what people keep as pets in LA."

"Okay, we're ready to go." The second medic announced.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Liz asked, concerned.

"We got there in time but let's take him to the hospital first."

That was not the answer Charlie expected. A firm '_Yes' _would have been better. "Can I come with you?" He asked.

Lewis scrutinised him. "Hmm, I don't know what happened to you but you look more like you need some rest than a drive across town. And you might want to get changed before going out."

Charlie caught sight of his reflect in the mirror next to the front door. He was wearing pyjamas and his face looked like a painter's palette with shades of blue, yellow and purple and some patches of deep red, but at least the swelling had reduced by half. He let the ambulance go without him.

"We've got it!"

The voice made him jump and he whipped around to see one of the firemen holding a bag carefully. "We caught it. You're sure there is only one?"

"Why? They're usually in couple?" Charlie asked apprehensively.

"No. They're solitary animals but- "The fireman looked at each agent and the professor "Since I'm not too sure what's going on here, I just wanted a confirmation. Uh...You understand that we will have to make a report, Agents?"

"No problem. So will we." Colby sighed.

When the firemen left the house, Charlie looked under the sofa carefully before sitting down. "I guess I need to tell Dad, now." He looked at Colby in alarm and jumped from the couch. "Oh my god, Dad!"

"Don't worry. One of our men is with him. He's safe. Get dressed, We're taking you to the hospital to see Don. We'll pick up your father on the way."

Alan leant forward to place his elbows on his knees and rest his head in his hands. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"You're alright, Dad?"

He leant back in his chair and looked at Charlie. "Yeah... It's just that I didn't expect to be back in a hospital so soon after last night." He got up, angry. "When I think I left you on your own. That snake could've attacked you while you were sleeping-"

"Dad, it didn't. And you couldn't guess anyway. No one could've. Besides, I was upstairs and my door was shut. As far as I know, snakes – even very clever ones- still haven't found out how to open doors."

Alan stared unhappily at Charlie and muttered. "Your sense of humour is getting as bad as your brother's."

"Dad" Charlie called softly.

"You know what really gets to me? The fact that that man, Brown, is going after your brother for no real reasons. I mean... He came into our house, threatened us and tried to kill Don. But I can't understand why."

"Maybe... maybe it's just a way to ease his frustration. He sees Don as the source of his problem. After all, because of him, he wasn't able to fulfil his contract. Colby mentioned that when Brown rang Don, he said his employers were unhappy. I guess he needs to take it out on somebody and Don being there..."

"Well he could _ease his frustration_ on someone else." Alan replied stubbornly.

Charlie couldn't agree more. The truth was he was as angry as his father but he didn't want to let him know. Somebody needed to remain strong and rational in Don's absence.

Both men got up when they saw David approaching.

"Any news?" Asked the agent.

"Nothing so far. It shouldn't take so long... The EMT said he was going to be fine but no one is telling us anything." Charlie complained.

David raised a hand to calm him down. "Okay, let me try. They might talk to the FBI."

Before David could do anything, a doctor came up to them. "Are you Don Eppes' relatives?"

"Father and brother. I'm... the father." Alan explained a little awkwardly.

The doctor smiled slightly and turned to David, questioningly.

"Uh! FBI. Don's my boss."

"FBI hmm? That explains a lot." The doctor murmured before adding in a louder voice. "Agent Eppes is going to be fine. The bullet wound was not serious. It will be a little painful but nothing major. The snake bite however was more critical. Luckily, the antidote was administered in time and he's responding well to the treatment. Snakes can dose the quantity of venom they inject to their preys depending on whether they want to kill or not. Apparently, this one was in a good mood, the dose Don received was minimal. I want to keep him under observation but there shouldn't be any after-effects. Barring any complications, he should be released in the morning. The best remedy right now is rest."

"Ah! That's gonna be tricky" Alan groaned softly.

The doctor smiled, indulgently "Don't worry, Mr Eppes. Your son won't be up to much more, believe me."

Alan nodded and pursed his lips before asking as innocently as possible. "You... You wouldn't have any sleeping pills, just in case?"

This time, the doctor laughed. "I see. Is he that difficult?"

"You have no idea." Charlie butted in.

The doctor laughed again. "Well, I really don't think you'll need any drugs to keep him still at least for the next coming hours. And given what his system just went through, I'd rather not give him anything."

"Of course. I understand" Alan sounded a little disappointed. "So... when can he go home?"

"We'll do another blood test in the morning. If it's clear, I'd say around 9 or 10am."

Charlie stepped forward. "Can we see him?"

"Yes. He's been moved into a room but is still unconscious."

The three men looked at him in alarm and he raised his hands to reassure them. "I meant 'asleep'. He woke up for a brief moment and even spoke to us but as I said, he had a huge shock to the system. He's sleeping now. It's totally normal, there's nothing to worry about... I'm going to take you to his room."

Alan took a deep breath and glared sideways at the doctor: _He could choose his words more carefully_, he thought as they walked along the corridor

"Can I ask what happened to your jaw?" The doctor asked Charlie.

"I'd rather not."

"That's what I thought. Do you want me to have a look at it."

"That won't be necessary. I'm fine." The professor replied a little exasperated. He was starting to understand why Don kept his injuries to himself as often as he could**.** Next time, he would be a little more understanding with his elder brother, he promised himself.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Slader replied stubbornly for the third time.

"You don't? Really?" Colby placed the picture on the table in front of the suspect and pinned it with his fist. "His name's Josh Brown. Doesn't ring a bell?"

The man barely looked at the picture and shrugged. "Never heard of that guy. You're mistaking me with someone else."

"Am I? You have a very short memory, Slader. You were in jail with him, in Texas ten years ago."

The man shrugged again and looked at Colby squarely "If you say so."

"Oh I say so! Brown, Timonson, Rodriguez and you. In the same prison at the same time. You still think that I'm mistaking you with someone else?"

"I don't know. You're the cop after all."

Colby glared at the man and leant over the table. "You know, your friend Brown made a huge mistake today. He tried to kill my boss."

Slader snorted scornfully. "Nah, if he'd really wanted him dead, Eppes would be history by now."

Colby leant back and smiled "So... you do know Brown."

Slader glared at Colby, furious and vexed. "I'm not saying another word. I want my lawyer."

"Yeah, I think you'll need one, and a very good one." Colby gathered the papers on the table and got up. "Attempting murder against a Federal Agent? It's death penalty, man."

Slader shot up his chair. "Hey! I tried to kill nobody."

"Not directly. But I can prove you knew he would go after my boss."

"No you can't. I didn't-"

Colby pushed Slader back on his chair and leant forward to stand a few centimetres from the suspect's face."Never mind what you knew or not!" He said angrily. "Once I'm finished with you, you'll be on death row!"

Slader stared at Colby, trying to read his face but the agent remained impassive. After half a minute, Granger turned around and walked to the door. Slader's eyes widened in panic.

"Wait!... wait." he repeated in a low voice, looking defeated. He sighed and looked away. "You understand that if he finds out that I spoke to you, I'm a dead man."

"If you help us catch him, we'll protect you."

The man snorted, disillusioned. "it's not just him I'm worried about."

"You're talking about your employers?" Slader nodded briefly. Colby grabbed a chair and sat next to the prisoner. "Listen, we could kill two birds with one stone. Tell us who your employers are and we will put you in a witness protection programme."

"I'll be the only bird killed in this story. They'll know I gave them away. If they don't already know."

"You've said nothing yet." Colby reminded him

"Doesn't matter. They know we're having this conversation, that's enough."

"We are also interrogating your accomplices. Does that mean they're going to kill them too?"

Slader nodded. "Oh come on, man. Don't you think you're overreacting there?"

The look Slader gave him convinced Colby that the man was sure to die. The agent took a deep breath. "Okay. If you're so certain to be killed whether you speak or not, why don't you help us then? If we know who we're up against, we might have more chance to protect you. What do you think? We've got a deal?"

The man hesitated, clearly mulling over his situation then nodded. "Okay. I'll help you but we'll do it my way."

"Depends on what you have in mind."

"I speak to you and you only. If you place me in a safe house, I want you or Eppes to take me there. And no one else will know the address."

"Hmm, I'm not sure about Don. He's still in hospital so..."

"You or Eppes, no one else!" Slader shouted.

Colby held his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay. I'll speak to Don as soon as he's in condition. Anything else?"

Slader seemed to think for a moment then shrugged and looked at the floor. "Whatever I do, they'll find me anyway."

"Nothing will happen to you under my watch, alright?" Colby said with force and conviction.

"You won't be there all the time to protect me."

Colby was now getting a little impatient. "What do you want from me? I promise to do all I can to keep you safe. I know I can make the same promise on Don's behalf. We can organise a 24/7 protection but we need to know who we must protect you against. And the only way to do that is if you talk to us... Now."

Slader knew Colby meant it. "Okay, I'll tell you what I know."

Yeessssss! Colby thought although his face only showed calm and professionalism. _Hey! Three years as a double agent had to be come in handy one day or another, _he thought.

To be Cont'd

I know, I know! I kind of exaggerated Don's reaction to the snake bite especially since he only received a small dose of venom. These symptoms could occur but not in such a short time. But that's what we call Dramatisation, no?

On the other hand, a bump to the head, no sleep, a high level of stress and being shot is a lot for a body to cope with. So maybe, it's not that unbelievable, hmm?

Oh and yes, rattlesnake can dose the quantity of venom they want to inject. Lucky for Don!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five.**

Don wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or not. He could hear voices in the distance... They seemed to get closer now but he still couldn't make out what they were saying. He was certain he knew them though. He suddenly remembered something... something about... a snake... and a restaurant. He frowned. _That didn't make sense! He had to open his eyes_. It took some effort, a lot of effort actually but he managed to make his eyelids rise halfway. But that didn't help much. All he could see was... well a sort of white greyish fog. Annoyed, he tried to sit up but felt a hand –or something- holding him down.

"Wow, easy Don. What do you think you're doing?" He heard a sigh. "They woke you up, didn't they? I knew it." The hand released his shoulder. He heard a small noise, like the click of a door being shut and the voices disappeared.

"Dad?"

"Yes. I'm here. Are you thirsty? The doctor said you had to drink to help your muscles recover."

_Help my muscles recover? __What on earth was he talking about?_ He felt something against his lips and drank automatically. He blinked and his father's face finally appeared in front of him, a bit swimmy at first but after two or three more blinks, it seemed to stabilize. Carefully and slowly he looked around: it was definitely a hospital room. He tried to lift his hand but his whole body seemed to weigh a ton.

"What's going on?" Even talking was difficult, as if his jaw didn't want to work. Speaking of jaws, that reminding him of something else. "Charlie?"

"He's fine. Well as fine as one can be with a bruised face." Then Alan added jokingly, "Don't worry about him, he's still talking." His tone changed again to become more concerned. "How are _you_ feeling?"

"Hmm..." He stopped to think. _Don't say 'okay' or he'll get mad_. "Stiff," he admitted.

"I've been told it's normal after being bitten by a poisonous snake."

"Yeah... The snake?" Don said, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"The firemen caught it... And of course, there is the bullet wound although the doctor said it was just a graze -supposedly..." Don squinted to look at his father. Alan's hand covered his as the elder man said tenderly, "Go back to sleep, now."

"Outside... heard... voices."

Alan nodded. "Your team and your brother. And no, I won't let them in."

"T's not... what I said," Don complained a little outraged. He let his eyes shut.

"No but I can read between the lines. You are not gonna work today. End of the discussion. Now go back to sleep."

With that, Alan pulled the blanket up to Don's neck, sat back in the armchair next to the bed, grabbed his newspaper and resumed his reading he had interrupted when Don had woken up. After a minute, he discreetly peered at Don and smiled contently when he saw his son fast asleep.

.

Liz stopped by Charlie's on her way to work in the morning. She wanted to make sure he was alright despite the frantic night they had had**.** She had also promised to keep him informed on the progress of the investigation. As they entered the living room, Liz noticed that Charlie kept looking around nervously.

After a while, she offered, "Why don't we sit in the kitchen? We'd be more comfortable around the table."

"Good idea," the professor grabbed his laptop and headed whit haste toward the kitchen.

"Right," Liz started as she sat opposite to him. "According to Slader, they were waiting for Luiz Barbosa. Officially he runs a couple of travel agencies but Narcotics think he's the head of a large drug network. He also has a direct connection with a major Colombian drug cartel. He's been extremely clever and careful so far, keeping a low profile and making sure that the companies he owns don't grow too much so that they don't attract the attention of the Department of Treasury."

"So how did Narcotics come to suspect him of drug dealing?"

"An anonymous call tipped them last year. They always thought one of his 'competitors' gave him away." Liz made a quotation mark sign with her fingers on the word competitors. "But we still have nothing against him, not a shred of evidence proving that he's more than a small business man."

"Okay... So if Barbosa was the target yesterday, that means that Brown's employers are after his business. The unofficial one, that is."

Liz nodded. "Barbosa probably knows who's after him by now. He'll want to retaliate, for sure. We can't let that happen. It'll start a gang war and eventually innocent people will get killed. Slader doesn't know who their employers are but, from what he said, they're no angels. He's convinced he'll be killed before the end of the week."

"Are you certain he doesn't know who hired them?"

"Colby is pretty sure, yes. According to him, the guy is genuinely scared. Whether it's for real reasons or pure paranoia, that we can't tell but the other prisoners are protected as well, in case he's not exaggerating."

Charlie stared at his laptop for a short moment, lost in his thoughts. "Did you speak to Barbosa?" he finally asked.

"David and Colby are with him as we speak."

Charlie shook his head, a look of pain on his face and started to pace. "I... I can't think."

"Charlie," Liz said softly. "We don't expect you to help us on this case."

The professor whipped around to face Liz. "But I should. I was there!"

"Exactly! You were there. You're too close. That's why we're not allowed to investigate a case when we're personally involved."

"Well, you are involved," Charlie insisted. "I mean, Don's your boss and I work with you..."

"By involved I meant 'family member'. Yes, this investigation touches us closely but we react as agents, not as friends... We try not to let our feelings cloud our judgement... It's not easy, I give you that."

Charlie nodded several times then asked anxiously, "Do you think we're still in danger?"

"We have agents watching your house. They'll stay with you wherever you go."

"Okay, that's for Dad and I but what about Don?"

Liz put a gentle hand on Charlie's arm, her eyes locking into his and said softly, "He's got us."

.

"If I have enemies? Of course, I have enemies!" Barbosa exclaimed in a tenor voice, raising his arms in the air to emphasise his statement. "What do you think? Anyone who succeeds causes a lot of envy and jealousy around him."

"Oh come on, Barbosa. You want to make us believe that your competitors are trying to eliminate you because you own a couple of travel agencies?"

"First of all, I own five agencies. And yes! My competitors would love to see me out of their way. My business is going from strength to strength despite the credit crunch. I'm a successful businessman."

"You certainly are but I don't think we are talking about the same trade, here."

Barbosa squinted at them, suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Narcotics have been watching you for a while now and they believe that you offer a totally different type of trip to some of your clients."

Barbosa's face remained calm but the two agents didn't miss the flash of anger in his eyes. "Your friends from Narcotics should be more careful about what they say. Their insinuations could cost them a lot and to you too."

"Is that a threat?" Colby asked, angry.

Barbosa smiled dryly. "Just a piece of advice, gentlemen. Now, if you excuse me. I have a lot to do."

"So you have no idea as to who set that trap yesterday?" David insisted. "They knew you well apparently. We were told it was the only place you go without your bodyguards. They wanted to kill you or to kidnap you?"

"I haven't got the least idea. But as I said, I made many enemies."

"And you're not curious to find out?"

Barbosa put his hands together as if to pray but his smile became dangerous and full of meaning. "I'm a forgiving man. Whoever it was, I'm sure they're already regretting it."

.

Colby got into his car, frustrated, "He knows. He knows who it was."

David buckled his seat belt. "Oh yes, no doubt about that. I'm going to request a warrant to tap his phones and put a surveillance team on him and his goons."

"If Narcs could produce a list of possible suspects, we could ask Charlie to do one of his algorithm/ analysis thingies to send us in the right direction."

"We can ask him but to be honest, I don't know if he is up to it both physically and mentally. He looked pretty shaken when he left the hospital," David pointed out.

Colby let his head rest against his seat. "Yeah. You can't blame the guy. A lot happened to him since last night." He looked at David. "It's worth trying, no?"

"Fine by me. Anything that can help us catch these guys, whoever they are, is welcome."

They were interrupted by a cell phone ringing. David fished his cell out of his pocket and passed it to Colby, who answered.

"Hi, Liz. I was about to call you. Are you still with Charlie?"

"_No, I'm on my way to the office. Listen, Rodriguez and Timonson have escaped."_

"What? What are you talking about?"

"_Their transfer to the California State Prison was scheduled at 9.30am this morning. Two guys from the DA's office arrived with a warrant to pick them up. Ten minutes later, two other agents showed up for the same prisoners. They said they were delayed by a bus that broke down in a one way street. Guess who were the real cops?"_

"What's going on?" David asked, concerned

Colby made a hand gesture to ask him to wait.

"How come no one checked the paperwork?"

"_The warrant was authentic!" Liz informed him. "Signed by Judge Hamilton."_

Colby pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and sighed noisily. "Man, what a mess... We'd better keep a close eye on the others before they disappear too. We'll be there in ten minutes."

Colby gave David his cell phone back.

"Rodriguez and Timonson have just escaped. Liz says the paperwork was signed by Judge Hamilton. I'm telling you, he'd better have a _very_ good explanation," Colby commented, furious.

.

Alan was happy and relieved. His eldest had been released in the morning and was now sleeping on the sofa. He had his two sons safely at home and had no intention to let either of them go anywhere today. Alan pushed the kitchen door and found Charlie, seated at the table, staring at his laptop in front of him and kneading his brow.

"Charlie? What are you doing?"

"Colby sent me a list of possible suspects. It's... it's a long list and he wants me to narrow it down but..." He waved at the screen, shaking his head. "I... I can't see any patterns. There must be one. There _has to be_ one but I can't see it, Dad."

Alan walked over to him. "Maybe you're looking too hard."

The younger man looked at his father questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're too emotional right now. Usually, you approach your math problems with more distance and rationality. Take a break and your math will talk to you when you're ready."

"But it's urgent and... two prisoners have escaped! There are three of them running free now."

"And you're afraid they might come here to hurt us?"

"Not us, Dad. Don! Brown was after Don alone. He came into the house. He... He probably saw me sleeping. If he'd wanted to hurt or kill me, it would've been pretty easy for him at the time. But instead, he called Don and... and... now two more guys are on the loose and I'm not even capable to... to- "

Alan sat next to Charlie. "You're not going help your brother or his men this way, and you're certainly _not_ helping yourself. Take a break and you'll have a clearer view of the situation. As for Don, he's here with us. There are men outside watching the house. Nothing is going to happen to him, or to you or me."

Suddenly, Charlie got up, grabbed his laptop and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Alan asked in alarm.

"To the Bureau. I can't work here."

.

Mindsie Miny put her glass on the table, wiped the corner of her mouth delicately with her forefinger and looked mockingly at the black agent in front of her.

"You're in deep water, Mindsie. Your friend or your employers are not going to help you to get out. If you talk to us-"

"I might be blond but I'm not dumb. You have nothing against me."

"My client is right. You have no charge against her."

David ignored the lawyer and carried on, staring at Mindsie, "You were part of a hostage-taking involving a special agent of the FBI. And your friend Brown tried to kill him. You're gonna be behind bars for a long time, trust me."

She started to play with her glass, nonchalantly. "I'm not responsible for what that Brown did. As for the hostage situation, I was a victim too."

"Excuse me? You told Brown that Agent Eppes was a federal agent."

"My client got scared and she panicked. A completely normal reaction due to the stress of being menaced by armed felons."

David blinked at the man. "My god, you're good. You almost sound like you believe what you're saying. The only problem is that your _client_ hit several agents during and after the raid."

The man shook his head slowly. "Again, she panicked. Some people scream when they're afraid. She... kicks."

This time, the agent had a hard time trying to hide his smile. "She certainly does."

The lawyer continued, "Have you been able to connect my client to that Brown, or to any of the other perpetrators?... No! You have absolutely nothing against her except the fact that she-"

"Panicked. Yes, I know." Sinclair stared at the man and then at the suspect. "We will certainly keep an eye on you Mindsie, just to make sure you're okay."

The lawyer got up. "Stay away from my client or I'll have a restraining order against you and your men. Now, if you have nothing else to add, we are leaving."

David leant back in his chair as he watched the couple leave the offices. Once they were out of view, he hit the table in frustration. This case was getting worse by the minute.

.

The bell made Alan jump. He swore and mumbled then rushed to the door before his visitors could ring again.

"Hey David, Colby," Alan greeted in a low voice. "How are you?"

"Is he asleep?" David worried.

Alan looked at the sofa where his son was resting and saw a hand groping the top of the couch, and then a head emerged. He sighed and moved aside to let the two agents in. "Not anymore."

"Sorry about that, Mr Eppes," David said with a grimace.

"Oh! It's okay. He's been sleeping for two hours, a record for him. I'm going to make some coffee," Alan announced. He walked to the kitchen while the two agents joined their boss in the living room.

Don yawned. "Hey guys."

"How are you feeling?" Colby asked.

Don rubbed his face with both hands, blinked several times and smiled at his men. "I'm good. Thanks for asking. Any news on the case?"

When he saw the two agents glancing briefly at each other and hesitating, Don closed his eyes. _That couldn't be good._ He braced himself. "Okay, what's going on?"

David fidgeted nervously. Colby looked around the room, carefully avoiding his boss's gaze. Don looked at them sharply. _Oh! That was definitely NOT good._

In the kitchen, Alan was busy adding water to the coffee machine when the loud scream made him pour half of the liquid on the floor.

"_WHAT?"_

He rushed back to the living room to find his son pacing furiously and the two agents looking miserable.

"What's happening?" he asked apprehensively.

Don spun around to face his father. "Two suspects escaped and one was released this morning!"

"Oh," Alan replied, relieved.

"What do you mean 'Oh'..." He stopped. His eyes narrowed as he stared attentively at his father."You knew?"

His father replied, a little embarrassed, "Yes. Well I knew about the two escaped men. I didn't know about the third one. Who was released?"

"The waitress. We couldn't prove she was part of the operation," David explained. His phone rang.

"Yes Liz... What?... Where?... Damn it! We're on our way."

"What now?" Don asked, tense

David put his cell phone back in his pocket and started to walk to the door. "We found Rodriguez. His body was floating in the Marina Del Rey."

"Wait! I'm coming with you."

"Donnie!" Alan called out firmly.

The younger man stopped and turned to his father. "Dad, I'm just going to the crime scene and then I'll be back, alright."

Alan shook his head upset and turned around to go back to the kitchen. "Like I'm going to believe that," he mumbled to himself.

To be cont'ed


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six **

Liz yawned. She was hungry and tired and decided it was time for lunch. She took her jacket from the back of her chair and started to walk to the elevators. The doors opened and shefound herself face to face with a blond woman, looking very scared.

"Mindsie Miny. What a surprise to see you here? You missed us?" she said sarcastically.

"Agent Warner. I request the FBI's protection," Mindsie replied, holding tightly her bag in front of her as if to protect herself.

_So much for lunch_, Liz sighed inwardly. She led the other woman to the interrogation room.

"You want a coffee? You look like you need it," Liz noticed.

The other woman shook her head briefly, pressing her bag even more against her. "No thank you. I can't swallow anything."

"You're feeling sick?"

"No, I mean I _really_ can't swallow." Her right hand rose to the scarf she was wearing and she pulled it off, revealing black marks around her neck. Liz's eyes widened.

"Who did that to you?"

"Timonson. For some reasons, he was looking for Rodriguez and he was sure I knew where he was. He got upset when I said I didn't and tried to kill me," she explained, pointing briefly at her neck. "That guy's crazy." She started to nibble nervously at her thumb nail.

"Rodriguez's dead," Liz announced bluntly

Mindsie flinched at the news. "Oh my god," she said softly. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet. Do you know where Timonson is now?"

She shrugged. "I can tell you where he was but he's probably gone by now."

"That's good enough," Liz replied. "Who hired you to kill Barbosa?"

Mindsie made a face. "I don't know. Honest! Only Brown and possibly Tim know. The others were like me, just following Brown's orders."

Liz took some notes. "What about Brown? Where is he hiding?"

She shook her head. "I don't know that either. But I do know he's in trouble. He hasn't finished his contract and if he doesn't want to end up like Rodriguez, he'd better act quickly. But once he's finished with Barbosa, he'll go after your boss. Brown has a very high opinion of himself and doesn't like to lose face. Eppes sure damaged his reputation last night. Brown must be enraged right now and he won't rest until he's eliminated him."

"I see..." Liz's face hardened. She took a minute to collect herself before asking, "Do you know how your employers knew about the raid at the restaurant and the transfer of your two accomplices?"

Mindsie coughed slightly. "Yeah. _That_ I can tell you."

.

On their way to Marina Del Rey, David and Colby gave Don a rundown of the case, including their visit to Barbosa.

"He's not very cooperative for a man whose life might be in danger," commented the lead agent.

"We have a team watching him but the judge refused to give us a warrant to tap his phones: not enough evidence against him. Charlie's working on a list of suspects that Narcotics gave us. He might find something."

"Oh, that's what he's doing? For some reason, he refused to tell me this morning."

"You're not supposed to work today," Colby reminded him.

"Well, you shouldn't have come then. And anyway, I'm not working. I'm merely going to see a crime scene."

"Merely," David repeated sarcastically, glancing sideways at his boss.

The three men got out of the vehicle. Fuller walked over to them and led them to one of the piers where a body was covered with a blanket. Don crouched down and pulled the blanket back to check the victim.

"He was beaten up then killed point-blank," Fuller explained. "A witness saw a van stop and someone throw something in the water. He thought it was someone getting rid of rubbish and he noted the licence plate to report him. When he saw it was a body, he called LAPD. We checked the plate number: the car was stolen."

"What about the driver?"

"Nothing there either. The car was driving away from the witness. He could only tell it was a man but that's all."

"Interrogated then executed. But why? And where is Timonson?" Colby wondered.

"My bets would go on Barbosa: retribution for last night," David proposed.

Don put the blanket back on the body and stood up. He looked around. It was a secluded area of the Marina, mainly used to repair or clean the boats, with few people coming and going. They were lucky that the body was spotted so quickly. "Did you speak to Judge Hamilton?"

Fuller nodded. "I can assure you: he was furious when he found out that his signature had been forged and what it was used for."

"_If_ it was forged," David pointed out

"It was," Fuller confirmed. "We gave the warrant to the Crime Lab. The graphologist confirmed it was definitely not Hamilton's signature, although it was well imitated."

Don ran his right thumb against his lips. "It's definitely an inside job. We've got a mole either at the FBI, the DA's office or the Judge's."

"It's the FBI," Charlie said as he joined the group on the pier.

"Charlie! What are you doing here?" Don walked over to his brother, worried.

"I'm working on the case."

"I know. But you're supposed to analyse a list of gangsters and not visit a crime scene."

"And you're supposed to be at home, resting."

Fuller stared at the two brothers, a little puzzled and amused, then looked at the two agents but made no comments.

"Anyway, Liz sent me. She knows who the mole is and how they spy on us but she didn't want to tell you over the phone."

.

Liz was leaning against the rail of the footbridge leading to the FBI building, waiting for her boss and the rest of the team. She stood straight when she saw them coming.

"So, what do we have?" Don asked her.

"According to our friend the waitress, the leak is coming from the Telecommunication department – the monitoring centre to be precise. The suspect's name is Stella Barber-"

"Wait! She's the one who responded to my call when I asked for a trace on your phone last night," David exclaimed.

Don frowned at Liz, questioningly, "Who's behind all that?"

"Ever heard of Carlos Mendez?" Liz asked him.

Fuller nodded. "The drug tycoon?"

"Himself. He's involved in all sorts of traffickings: prostitution, drugs, extortion, money laundering, even antiques smuggling. But he's never been arrested. I hope he pays his lawyers well because they always found a scapegoat when things were getting a little too hot for Mendez," Liz advised.

"What's the connection between them?"

"She's his cousin."

Colby stared at Liz in disbelief. "What? How come that didn't come up when she applied with the FBI?"

"Because she's only a second, if not a third, degree cousin. There was nothing to connect her to Mendez."

Don started to pace slowly, thinking aloud, "So, she called Mendez to warn him about the raid at the restaurant. He probably sent one of his men disguised as a FBI agent and helped Brown escape. It's pretty easy for her to listen to any conversation without arousing suspicion. She can search any phone number, any address..." He stopped and looked at Charlie. "Oh my god! That's why Brown got to your place so quickly last night. She told him where you and Dad lived!"

Don resumed his pacing, angry and silent, a dark look on his face. _Brown was heading toward real trouble_, Colby thought.

"That's also how they heard about the transfer of the two prisoners this morning. She must've kept an ear on every call you made, guys," Charlie pointed out.

Fuller clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Of course! She has access to the secured lines too. She heard my conversation with the DA."

"Alright. But how did she get the warrant?" David wondered.

"She didn't," replied Liz. "Well, not directly. All listening devices request a warrant. They are filed at the Monitoring Centre. She must've sent a copy of Hamilton's signature to Mendez. From there, it was easy to make a forgery."

Don shook his head and bit his lower lip. "It's not the first time they've done that. How long has she been working here?"

"Two years," Liz replied with a grimace.

The agents and the professor remained silent for a moment, thinking about the situation. In two years, how much damage had they caused? How many people had they freed or killed?

"Are you certain that your protégé Slater didn't know about that?" Fuller insisted.

"Yeah. He obviously knew there was a mole at the FBI but had no idea who it was. He trusted me. He also knew that Brown would've never tried to kill Don if he'd been Mendez's informer. We were the only two people he was sure of."

"So what now?" Charlie finally asked.

"They've been playing with us for long enough," Don said in a sombre tone. "Time for us to have some fun too."

.

Half an hour later, Don walked into the telecommunication room and handed a piece of paper to one of the technicians, a woman in her fifties.

"Please, could you trace this cell phone? We think it might belong to a murder suspect."

"Sure." The woman smiled agreeably and took the paper. Just as she started to enter the number on her computer, Charlie arrived very excited.

"Don! Ah, here you are! I need to talk to Barbosa."

"Okay, buddy. He's on his way to Burbank airport. Why do you need to see him?"

"I know who's after-"

"Not here." Don took him by the arm and they walked to the door. The agent looked over his shoulder and told the woman, "Please, call me once you've located him. Thank you."

The technician nodded and started her research. The two brothers left the room.

"Do you think she bought it?" Charlie whispered as they walked in the corridor.

"Oh yeah! Now, we just need to wait and see."

They entered the neighbouring room where another technician wearing earphones around his neck, David, Colby, Liz and Fuller were looking attentively at a monitor. Don sat next to the technician while Charlie stood slightly behind the group, craning his neck to have a better view of the screen showing the woman discreetly dialling a phone number. The technician put his earphones on and started the recorder. A phone number appeared on the technician's computer, soon followed by an address.

The woman started to talk very quietly. The technician adjusted the sound so that everybody in the room could hear properly.

"_Barbosa is heading to Burbank airport."_

"_Good. I'll let Brown know. Anything else?"_

"_Yes. Professor Eppes just told his brother that he knew who you were," _the woman whispered.

"_He gave our name?"_

"_Not in front of me, but he's usually right, you know."_

"_Don't worry, they have no proof. They can't do anything against us."_

_"Well, the brothers have a reputation here. The Fed is persistent. If he comes after you, he won't give up, Mendez."_

"_Can we buy him?"_

"_Very unlikely. He's one of those idealists who believe in justice."_

"_If he becomes a menace, we'll get rid of him. Brown would love to put his hands on him. I'm sure we can arrange that."_

"We've got him!" Colby said with force. "Death threats against an FBI agent and Barber said his name clearly. He won't be able to deny the evidence. He's had it!"

Fuller was the first at the door. "I'll get an arrest warrant for Mendez right away. Good luck, guys!"

To be Cont'ed


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The area was arid and desert, with no habitation around. This part of the road was sandwiched between two hills and a sharp bend further down forced the cars to slow down. It was the perfect place to hit. Hidden behind a large bush, five hundred yards away from the road, Brown waited for the car to arrive. He knew exactly what to look for and didn't bother when a little Fiat drove past, nor did he move when two trucks snaked along. But when a long black limo appeared, he raised his rifle to his shoulder and peered in the telescope of his weapon. He zoomed in until he could see the licence plate. Satisfied it was the right car, he aimed at the silhouette seated at the back. He couldn't see the passenger's face but he recognised Barbosa's stature and was about to press the trigger when he heard a little "click" behind him. He froze and gripped tightly his rifle, ready to turn around and shoot.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Brown smiled drily when he recognised the voice. "Eppes. You've got guts to come here after me."

"I'm not alone. And I led you here by the way."

Brown's smile disappeared to turn into a snarl. He had been played a second time by the Fed!

He put his rifle slowly on the floor and even more slowly turned around, hands in the air. He saw Don with Colby behind him.

"I suppose it's not Barbosa in the car?"

"Nope. The driver is one of my men and the passenger a dummy. Turn around, hands behind your head."

Brown pursed his lips and nodded slowly. Something in his attitude made Don uneasy. The guy was much too relax for someone who was going to spend the rest of his life in jail. He scanned the area and suddenly a little, very brief light flashed on the other side of the road. Someone was watching them!

"Colby, get down!" Don yelled just as a shot echoed in the valley.

Both agents threw themselves on the floor as a second shot hissed dangerously close to Colby and he took cover behind a large rock. Brown took advantage of the diversion to get up and run, immediately followed by Don. Colby tried to join his boss but a third bullet ricocheted off the rock forcing him to retreat to safety.

"David! I'm stuck here. Get rid of that shooter, for god sake!" he shouted in his microphone.

"We're on it. Hold on."

"It's not me I'm concerned about! Don's just gone after Brown without backup!"

David swore under his breath. They suspected that Timonson would be with Brown but they hadn't been able to locate him until he started to shoot.

He saw Liz crawling behind Timonson. She was so silent and agile that the killer didn't hear or see her. David moved to distract the man's attention and to allow her to get closer and find a better angle.

The man fired at David then at Colby. He was loading his rifle when he felt someone behind him. He gave up his weapon and tried to grab the gun he had at his hip. Two bullets in his shoulder stopped him short.

Liz pushed the gun away with her foot while keeping Timonson covered. David arrived and took the rifle.

"Colby, it's all clear. Find Don." David said on the radio while Liz handcuffed Tim.

"Go help him. I can take care of this scumbag," she told Sinclair, brutally pushing her prisoner in front of her to make him move.

.

Brown turned and fired. Don crouched to avoid the bullet and shot back. The ground was uneven. The deep and sticky mud covering the hill made it hard for both men to run. Brown lost his footing and landed painfully on the floor. Don jumped on him and they wrestled, each of them trying to disarm the other. They rolled down a side of the hill and ended up in a river. It usually was a deep ditch but the torrential rains of the previous days had turned it into a river with a powerful current.

Both men stood up, fighting against the water to keep their balance. Brown aimed at Don who dove to reappear almost immediately and knocked Brown's arm with his gun. The pain made him let his weapon go. Don stepped back and aimed at the other man.

"Don't move!" he shouted, a little breathless.

Brown laughed. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Handcuff me? You can try, Eppes. I'm ready for you."

Don knew the other man was right. Getting to close to him would be dangerous. They could hardy keep their balance with the water reaching above their hips. Being armed only gave him a small advantage. Brown had nothing to lose and was ready to take any risk to get away. Don stepped back, making sure to stay out of the other man's reach. He needed back-up. The problem was that his radio had been broken during the fight with Brown and was now out of order.

"David! Colby!" he shouted, hoping his agents weren't too far away.

Brown laughed mockingly but his eyes were hard and alert. Any mistake and it was the end of the agent.

"Colby!" he called again.

"Don!" Colby appeared at the top of the hill, soon followed by David. Don almost closed his eyes in relief. Instead, he held his gun tighter and aimed better.

The two agents were at mid distance.

"Put your hands behind your head," Don ordered.

Brown obeyed the best he could, the current and the cold making it more and more difficult for both men to stay steady. He turned around to see where the two agents were and started to walk toward the bank. But suddenly, he took one step back and threw himself at Don. Both men lost balance and disappeared under the water.

Colby and David were ready to shoot but the risk of hitting their boss was too great and they watched, helpless, the two men being carried away by the current while still fighting: Don to keep his gun, Brown to grab it. The two agents ran along the shore in hope that the river would quiet down at some point so that they could help Don, but instead, they discovered that the land was turning into a sharp slope, creating a seven foot high waterfall and increasing the strength of the current. It wasn't so much the falls that worried the two agents than what was at the bottom. The whole area was extremely rocky. The waters were not deep enough to protect the two men from any medium size or large stones that could lie beneath.

Brown grabbed Don and kept his head under the water. The agent fought back but swallowed water, again and again. He could hardly breathe, his nose, his throat and his chest were on fire and he was starting to panic. He punched the man in the stomach and broke free, gasping for air, trying to get his breath back.

The river was getting deeper and rougher and the current stronger, exhausting both men. The killer had tried several times to pull the agent under but now he was mainly trying to find something or someone to hold on to prevent _him_ from drowning.

"Don, grab the branch!"

Don recognised David's voice although his ears were filled with water. He blinked several times, coughed up some water, swallowed some more that he spat out again. His Kevlar vest acted like a weight and he had to fight hard to keep his head above the surface. The water in his eyes made everything blurred but he just made out a long brown form. In a desperate effort, he threw himself in its direction and grabbed it as strongly as he could. David carefully pulled the branch, any brisk movement and Don would lose his precarious hold. Colby laid flat on the floor and reached out to catch Don's hand. Brown managed to clutch onto Don, but the branch didn't stand the weight of both men. It cracked suddenly, letting Don hang on Colby's hand, with Brown holding firmly onto the lead agent.

David tried to help Colby but the edge of the slippery bank was giving up and Colby started to slide.

"Let me go!" Don ordered.

Colby tightened his grip on Don's hand while David tried to pull him back.

"Let me go," Don repeated.

"No! Don't!" Brown screamed desperately.

Seeing that his men were at risk to fall in the river with him, Don let his hand slip between Colby's fingers. He took a deep breath before he hit the water again, taking Brown with him.

"No!... Damn it! Don!" Colby yelled.

The two agents watched horrified as their boss and Brown disappeared in the roaring waters of the torrent. They ran down the slope and observed anxiously the foam at the bottom of the waterfall in search of the two men, each of them praying not to see the dead body of their leader coming up to the surface.

"There!" Colby pointed at a man floating on the other side of the river.

From where they stood, they couldn't tell who it was, nor if he was alive. They crossed the river with difficulties, the eddies forcing them to hold on to each other to keep a semblance of balance. They finally reached the man: he was face down but they recognised Brown and the crack at the base of his head left no doubt about his state: he was definitely dead.

They left his body and looked for their boss without hesitation. There was nothing they could do for Brown anyway. They walked along the river and almost missed Don. He was tangled in the roots of a tree, along the shore, that were preventing him from drifting away. He wasn't moving.

They pulled him to the bank carefully, checked his pulse and let out a breath of relief: he was alive. He looked battered, had a cut across his brow and several others on his arms and legs. His Kevlar vest had a large laceration across the chest but it had protected him in his fall. Colby called an ambulance while David unbuckled the vest and tried to rouse him.

"Don? Don? D'you hear me?"

Don groaned, his eyelids fluttered and he tried to turn away. The two agents rolled him onto his side and he coughed up some water. After a while, he opened his eyes slowly but said nothing, too exhausted to speak.

"Hey Don. How d'you feel?"

Don blinked very slowly and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"Man, you're lucky," David commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Brown?" the team leader croaked.

"Not so lucky."

Don coughed again and tried to sit up.

"Hey, take it easy, okay?" David ordered.

"M' okay... Help me up... I'm cold on the floor," Don said in a tired voice.

Colby and David helped him stand up. He made a few steps before his legs buckled under him. They caught him before he fell onto the ground. Don raised a shaky hand.

"I can walk," he advised stubbornly.

"Sure you can but not alone. Come on Don, don't fight us on this." Without waiting for an answer, David and Colby each grabbed one of his arms to support him and the little group started to move – very slowly.

The river had brought them back near the road and after a short walk, they reached their cars where Liz and an ambulance were waiting for them.

To be Cont'ed


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

Alan approached silently and craned his neck to check on his eldest. He was lying on the sofa, a blanket half covering him, eyes shut. Although half asleep, Don felt a presence. He looked up and smiled sleepily at his father.

"Hey Dad."

He pushed himself up, winced and sat gingerly. His body was covered with cuts and bruises and moving was a little painful.

Alan sat in the chair next to the sofa. "I won't ask you how you are. I can see it for myself."

"Hmm." Don rubbed his face with his hands then breathed deeply. "It's nothing, really."

"Charlie said you arrested all the bad guys."

"Yep, including Mendez." When Alan raised his eyebrows questioningly, Don explained, "Brown's employer."

"Oh, I see. Everything's good then."

"Yeah."

"Hmm, you don't sound so convinced," Alan remarked

Don scratched his neck absently. "I don't know. Mendez might be behind bars but Barbosa is still out. We know he's already working on taking over Mendez's territory." He shook his head, discouraged. "It never ends. As soon as one is out of the way, another one has already taken his place."

Alan looked intently at his son for a full minute. "So what? You give up the fight?"

Don rested his head against the sofa and looked at him, his eyes filled with pain and fatigue. "I'm tired, Dad. I feel like I'm running in circles. I... It seems that... what I do is useless."

"Did you speak to the shrink lately?"

Don stared at him a little self conscious and made a vague head movement, which could have meant either yes or no. "Maybe I should do something different, where I could help people and make a real difference, you know? Something more peaceful, inspiring for others, more spiritual maybe."

Alan's brows shot up. "Spiritual? Are you trying to tell me you're thinking of quitting the FBI to become a Rabbi? "

Don laughed a little nervously. "No, nothing so drastic or dramatic, don't worry."

Aland leant back in his chair. "Not that I would mind if you left the Bureau."

Don snorted a laugh. "Yeah, I have no doubt about that. But sorry that's not part of my plans."

Alan pinched his lips together, a little disappointed but not so surprised. "Alright. So what _are_ your plans?" he insisted, staring at his son.

Don looked uncertain. "I don't know yet. I... I'd like to do more to help people. You know?... Maybe I could start by doing some voluntary work."

Alan's brows shot up again. "When? When would you do that? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a great and noble idea and I do understand your reasons but when are you going to find the time? Your job takes 110% of your life. Most of the time, you come home totally exhausted. Where are you going to find the energy to do some voluntary work?"

Don shrugged. "During my week-ends or days off. I could reorganise my schedule and-"

Alan placed his hand on Don's arm to stop him and looked at him squarely. "Don, be realistic. You work _all the time_. When you're on a case, you cannot focus on anything else. You forget to sleep, to eat. Voluntary work is a very serious and time consuming activity if you want to do it properly. And I know you, you never do anything by half. Reducing you working time will never happen, not as long as you work in the field-" Alan suddenly saw an opportunity. "Of course, if you asked for a desk job, you would have the -"

Don held up his hand. "Forget about it, Dad. I can't spend my whole day behind a desk. I'd go mad."

Alan sighed. Deep inside, he knew that wouldn't work for Don. He had always been active and on the move, too much energy and nervousness. Even asleep, he was restless, turning and turning again in his bed as if he was chasing someone or something. Sitting behind a desk while the action was happening somewhere else? Alan rubbed his neck, pensive, _no he couldn't picture his son as an office worker_. Too bad. That would have suited him well to have his eldest in a safe place than in the first line of fire. He studied his face and smiled tenderly then got up and placed his hand on Don's shoulder. Don looked up at him, expectantly.

"You'll find something. In the meantime, what you do _is_ important: you protect people, you save lives. It's not to be taken for granted, Don."

"Yeah, but Charlie helps people too, without hurting or killing anyone."

"True but you don't deal with the same kind of people. And you're not your brother either."

"Yeah, I noticed. I'm only a dumb Fed," he replied under his breath.

"That's NOT what I said!" Alan replied sharply. "Charlie couldn't do what you do. He couldn't deal with the violence, death and ugliness you see every day. You're tired of that? I can understand but I also know my sons very well. And I _know _you could never have a 9 to 5 job. You're a warrior, always have, always will be, whether you like it or not, Don. That caused me and your mother some sleepless nights but she was and I am _so_ proud of you. And believe me, your brother is too." He sighed deeply. "I guess that what I'm trying to say is that if you're tired, take a break. You deserve vacations like anybody else. Take some time to think. But remember that your job with the FBI is important, not only to others, to the people you protect, but to _you_ too. Like your brother once said: you're a born cop. You're an excellent agent _and_ a leader. Don't undervalue that. Ever!"

Alan gently squeezed Don's shoulder. "Now it's time to go eat. Last time, we were rudely interrupted so I invite you to the pizzeria down the road. Give me your keys."

"Dad, I'm still able to drive, you know."

"I know but I've always wanted to drive your truck."

"It's a SUV," Don corrected, half-laughing.

"Whatever... Give me the keys," the elder man said wiggling his fingers at him.

Don smiled. "Okay, I guess I owe you that. That'll be my birthday present then. But be careful, it's government property," he replied handing the keys to his father.

Sitting on the stairs, Charlie smiled. Nested on one of the steps, he had eavesdropped the whole conversation, like he used to do when he was a child. He had worried about Don these past months and wasn't too surprised about his brother's doubts and self-questioning. But he knew his father would be there for him, just like he was there too – that was, if Don let them in of course. All the professor wanted was to carry on working with his brother. Because yes! He was making a difference as an agent - if not for the whole country at least for the people of LA. But was that enough for Don? He wasn't sure but it was definitely enough for Charlie. He got up and joined his family downstairs. Alan quickly glanced at his youngest and immediately knew that he had been listening. He winked at him discreetly and they both looked at Don.

Don pushed himself up and stopped in mid-movement, feeling their eyes on him. "What?"

"Nothing," Charlie replied quickly. "So Dad has the right to drive your Suburban and not me."

"Charlie, I'm not suicidal. Stick to the Prius, it's safer for everyone."

"Oh! This is _sooo_ unfair. Dad, tell him," Charlie whined.

Alan held up both hands in a placating movement. "I don't want to get involved... However, I must say I tend to agree with you brother on that one. Proof is, he gave _me_ his keys, not you," he added with a smirk before rushing outside.

Charlie stopped and looked at Don, gesturing at their father and shaking his head in disbelief. "Honestly, you wonder who's the kid in this house."

"Surely not you, hmm, Chuck?" Don replied with his customary smile, as he put his arm around his brother's shoulders to lead him to the door.

"Don't call me Chuck... And yes, I'm much more grown up than both of you... Donald!"

The end


End file.
